The Randnet Disk for the 64DD isn’t really a game, but I thought it was interesting enough to talk about. It’s a software disk that is essentially a web browser and email client. As the Randnet service is down, there isn’t a lot that can be done, but I was able to mess around a little with the menu, along with the help pages which use the browser.

While you could use the N64 mouse and the N64 keyboard (which was sold separately alongside this disk), a good deal of effort was put into allowing text input on a controller. The stick is used to narrow your selection to a couple of letters, while you can use the A button and C-buttons to pick one of those letters, or a shortcut for something else (such as www. or .com). It’s a surprisingly nice way to input text, and it’s a shame this wasn’t used in other N64 games.

The browser is basic, but most were at the time anyway. From the help pages, it does its job just fine. There were some big plans for this, such as online play, watching others play games, and a music streaming service, but as the 64DD was short-lived, so was this. I also think it shows how botched together the 64DD ended up being, that this wasn’t released alongside the system itself.

?

Instead of popping down to the local games store and picking up a 64DD, the only way to get hold of one is by ordering it online via a novel pay-as-you-go scheme costing ¥2500 (around £12) per month for the first year – after which the 64DD is yours to keep – and a further ¥1500 (£7) monthly subscription fee thereafter. For that price you get to use Nintendo’s Randnet service, which features emial and Internet access, multiplayer gaming and the ability to download demo versions of forthcoming titles.

N64 Magazine #36

Remake or remaster?

A group called Randnet+ is working on getting Randnet to work, allowing for the sharing of items from Mario Artist, and letting the browser work. They’re also recreating some of the pages the Randnet Disk directly linked to, so we’ll be able to see what it actually did (it probably won’t be able to load most modern websites).

Official ways to get the game.

There’s no official way to get Randnet Disk.